For boots and shoes



(No Model.) H E RIBS.

V SUSPENSION HOOKPOR BOOTS AND SHOES. A No. 283,418. Patented Aug. 21,1883.

To'all whcim it may concern/.-

7 .UNITED STATES PATENT Fries,

nuns ELKAN RIBS, or new ronn, n. Y.

SUSPEN'SION-HICOK FOR BOOT-S AND SHOES,

SPEGIFIFATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 283,418, dated Augustl:21, 1883.

v Application filedhluy-Q, 1883. (Kilomodel.) I

Be'it kn Twnthalt L'Enms E. RIEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Combined Coupling andSuspension'Hooks for Boots and Shoes, of which the following is aspecification. 4 Q

My. invention relates to improvements in do, vices for fastening bootsand shoes and analogous articles in pairs, so that they may be suspendedfroin hooks or nails in -the ceiling or walls of a-storc, or from hooks,wires; or rods in a show-window, in such manner that the boots orshoesmay be readily taken apart for exhibiting fitting on, or any otherpurpose, and as readily again connectedand that they may be easily andquickly taken from and restored to the hooks on rods upon which theybelong. -I accomplish this by, means @of wire coupling-hooks? whichhooks are variously formed, accordingitothe requirements of theparticular kind ofgoods'they are intended for, will be more fullydescribed hereinafter. Heretofore boots and shoes have been co nncctedin' pairs by means of a stringgor cord connecting them, and have usuallybeen placed in show-windowsor suspended from} the cell ing or walls of astor'so connected; thus making it difficult to conveythcm to and fromtheir places and'entail'ing agreat loss of time in re: connecting themafter being cut apart tor trying on, &c., whilejthe strings are seldomof g the same length, and therefore: giveig'and uneven appearanceto theboots. and shoes:

- The object of my invention is, first; to pro vide a simple and durablecoupling device forf coupling a pair of boots or shoes, so that'they maybe easily and quickly coupled or uncoup= .40

led without in; any mannerwrinkling 'them,

and in such a way that the boots or shoes will,

when suspended, hang, at the; same distance, and present anniform andeven appearance;-

' second, to provide means for rapidly lifting to and suspending theboots and shoesso con nected -from rods or hooks'in a show window orceiling of a store ;third, to provide -means for holding and displayinga priceflor. show card in connection therewith; and I "attain 59 theseobj cots by means of peculiar shaped wire hooks, which hooks are soconstructed that one or both of a 'pair of boots or shoes may be rapidlyand easily connected or disconnected without disturbing the other, andat the same timeallow them to be readily lifted to or from theirsupportinghook or nail by means of a hooked stick or otherwise.

My invention consists of a combined coup guided directly to a pointunder the ring or loop, thereby permitting the hook, with its pair ofboots or shoes or other urti eles, to be readily is left free andllllObSl'IllCtBd to engage wit-ha nail or hook destined to receiveandsupport it. The invention consists, further, in forming, the hooksintended for displaying goods in show-windows, &c., with a double orslotted ring, in order to allow of inserting a price-card, label, orothermarlgso as to be firmly .bctween the double ringor in the slot. Inthe drawings accompanying this specification, Figure-lis a verticalelevation in perspective of the hook used for boots and shoeshaving-their straps on the" side. Fig; 2 is a vertical side elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 atop view of the same hook. Figgl is a verticalelevation of the hoe: used for" boots and shoes having straps in thefront and back, and Fig. 5 is a vertical end vicw'of' the same on line 3Fig. 4;, Fig; Bis a perspective view of a niodi'fied form of the hookdesigned for buttonedboots or shoes; Fig. 7 is a detailed view inperspectiveof the hook when formed with a double ring for introducing ashowcard, and Fig. Sis an end view of the same on line z 2, Fig. 7. Fig.9 is ail-end view of the upper part of the hooks. shown in' fiigs. 4, 5,and 6, showing" the ring as it appears when lifted in such a manner thatthe ring or loop ling and suspension hook made of one piece of anywherebetween the inclined sides-will be held slotted or split for theintroduction of'a show F F. The horizontahparts E E of the hook' fit,respectively, into one of the finger-straps 2 I 1 seams manner in whichit is used, with shoes and price-card in position.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views. As will be seen by reference to the drawings, the hook,although made of one single length of wire, consists of several distinctfeatures, each fulfilling a certain peculiar function in itsapplication, as will be shortly described.- Thesefcatures may be classedinto five gen-' eral divisions or parts of the hook, which are letteredin' the drawings as A-B, .G O, D D, E E, and F F. The wire of which thehook is formed, having been out to the proper length, is preferablybentat or near its center, so as to form the ring or loop A, then crossed ortwisted upon itself one or more times, as shown at B in Figs. 1, 2, and8,,and in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The free ends of the wire are now inclinedoutward and-downward from their junction at b', as shownat G 0, thenbent to form the vertical sidesfiD D, -then again bent at right anglesto D D in order-to ,5 form thehorizontal portions E E, and finallyagainbent to form the" short upright guards,

of each of the two bootsor shoes forming a pair, and are made, longenough to hold the straps without wrinkling them. The short uprightguards F F effectually prevent the boots or shoes from accidentallyslipping or falling off the horizontal coupling-arms E E.

nary hooks 'or nails permanently secured to the wall or ceiling of astore or to rods in 1a show-window, as shown at H, Fig. 10, in section,and this ring. A may be made double, as

shown at a a, Figs. 7 and 8, or may have longitudinal slot, 8,extending. part-lyaround it, Fig. 9, for the reception of a show orprice card. g

The twist B serves to separate the ring A from the lower portion of thehook, to strengthen the lower, portion to a great extent against anytendency to spring inward from the weight of boots or shoes, and to actas'a support at its lower end, b, for a hooked stick or rod inliftingwit to and from its place on the station- InFig. 1 the twist B isshown single, while in Fig. 4 it is double.

The function of the inclined sides 0 O is to separate the space betweenthe boots and shoes so they will hang without crowding, and to guide ahooked stick that maybe inserted anywhere within the space bounded bythesides 0 G and'D D to, the point bat the junction of O O.

The vertical sides D D are used to enlarge the open space above theboots 'or shoes, and thereby facilitate the insertion of theliftingstick and assisting the sides 0 C inguiding the lifting-stick tob, 'andthey also serve i'n'loringing the center of gravity of the hook alittle below b, in order that the hook may be lifted at b in an uprightposition without any load.

In Fig. 1, used for boots and shoes having 1 side straps, (or strapsrunning in the direction of theirlength,) the inclined sides C O arebent in a backward direction from the ring A, and

{the horizontal supports E E are formed paral- I llel with each otherand at a relative right langle with the face of'the ring A, thusbringing the ring A directly over the supporting- ;arms E E, Figs. 2 and3, and, maintaining the center of gravity from b in such a manner thatthe arms E E will remain level with or without a load when the hook islifted or suspended at either the junction I) or ring A.

.The form of hook shown in Fig. 4: differs from Fig. 1 in having itsarms E E bent outward in opposite directions? from the upright side D D,and in having, all i'ts parts in aver-- ner of inserting the price-cardJ ,.which in this case has a circular opening corresponding to theopening in the ring A formed in it, as indicated by the dotted line K,in order to leave thering unobstructed'and free to engage with the hookor nail H. This figure also shows the method of coupling, a pair of"shoes and their appearance when supported on the hook The ring Aisintended to engage with ordiby their front straps. I

The invention is intended not only for coupling and displaying finishedboots andshoes,

but can be used to great advantage during their manufacture in keeping};the-pairs from becomingseparated or mixed; during the differentoperations, preventingLthe bottoms or uppers from being soiled or soatched by coming in contact with the work-bench, facility fortransporting them from place to place impairs,

hanging them safely out of the way when not in immediate use, and. formany other purposes.

The combined coupling and shspension hook above described is not limitedin its appliea.

tion to boots and shoes alone, but can'be used equally well for anyother articles requiring to be connected 'in pairs and supported fromhooks or nails in ceilings, walls, show-windows,.or other places. 5

I Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, an desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A combined coupling and suspension device for holding boots andshoes, made. iirom a single piece-of wire, and consisting of asuspension-ring, A, inclined or converging sides (1.0, and verticalarmsD D, terminating in holding hooks and guards, all arranged sub--stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A suspension device 'for holding boots and shoes and analogousarticles, consisting 'of the slotted or split-suspension ring A,inclined or converging sides C G, snd'depending arms DD, terminating inhooks or guards for holding the boots or shoes or other articles, ullfrom a single piece of wi re bent to form all the parts, substantiallyas shown, pose deseribed. g l i 3. Aeombined-eonpling andsnspensiondevice for holding a pair of boots .or shoes or,

analogous articles, consisting of a double or spiral ring for receivingand holding a show or 1 price card, inclined or converging sides forguiding alifting-stick, and depending arms terminating in hooks onguards for coupling and holding the boots or shoes or. other nrti les,all from a single piece of wire, all arranged andconstrneted-to operatesubstantially as set forth.

and forthe pura and consist- In testiin onythat I claim the foregoing asmy invention I have signediny namein presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

Emits ELKAX RIBS.

- \Vitnesses:

OTTO Risen, CARL KARP.

